Vimy 100 on April 11, 2017: a pilgrimage for the rest of us

What should have been a great positive experience for veterans, their families, friends, and school students commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge turned negative. Lack of water, poor visibility, inadequate washroom facilities, frightening and inadequate crowd control, no communications, and an unexpectedly rigid late time for departures from the site were serious complaints.
Then-French president Hollande and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shake hands after laying wreathes on behalf of the two countries at the Vimy Memorial during the 100th anniversary of the famed Battle of Vimy Ridge this past April.
Veterans Affairs Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion, and other public/private groups may have promoted well the commemoration of the Canadian victory at Vimy Ridge, however they seriously let down middle class Canadians on April 9, 2017, by inadequate event planning. What should have been a great po...

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